The Siberian wind cut through the vast snowfields like icy blades. Major Kristina Ivanova, a member of Russia's elite "Alpha" special forces unit, led her squad through an extreme winter survival exercise.
"Stay alert! Watch your surroundings!" Kristina's voice crackled through the radio, calm and authoritative despite the howling blizzard. Her short blonde hair was mostly hidden under her helmet, with only a few stubborn strands clinging to her forehead. Her piercing blue eyes—cold as Siberian ice—scanned the white wilderness ahead. High cheekbones and a strong jawline defined her typically Slavic features, and even in the -40°C cold, her movements remained precise and efficient.
This exercise simulated a covert sabotage mission behind enemy lines in extreme conditions. They had been marching through the frozen wasteland for three straight days with minimal food and sleep. For Alpha operatives, this was routine—but today's mission had an added variable: testing a new portable energy source.
"Energy source readings stable," the soldier carrying the device reported. "But there are anomalous fluctuations in the surrounding energy field."
Kristina frowned. She, too, had sensed an inexplicable pressure in the air, an ominous static charge. "Raise alert level," she ordered. "Maintain formation. Prepare for contingencies."
At that moment, the sky darkened unnaturally, shifting from dull gray to a sickly crimson. The snowfall ceased, replaced by a thick, sulfur-smelling black substance.
"What the hell is this?" one soldier exclaimed, trying to wipe the black ooze off his arm.
"Gas masks on!" Kristina barked, drawing her sidearm. "This isn't part of the exercise!"
Almost instantly, the snow ahead split open—a massive, glowing red fissure appeared out of nowhere. From it emerged grotesque creatures with insectoid limbs, reptilian scales, and eyes burning with crimson light.
"Open fire!" Kristina shouted, leading the assault.
Bullets struck the monsters, splattering black blood, but failed to stop them. The creatures shrieked and charged.
A fierce battle erupted. The Alpha team, highly trained, formed a defensive perimeter and unleashed suppressing fire. But the monsters kept coming—stronger, faster, and more numerous than any natural predator.
"Grenades!" Kristina commanded.
Explosions rocked the monster horde, momentarily halting their advance—but the blasts also triggered an avalanche. Tons of snow cascaded down the nearby slopes.
"Fall back! Now!" Kristina yelled, trying to lead her squad to safety.
Too late. The tidal wave of snow swallowed them whole. Kristina felt the world spin before darkness took her.
She awoke in freezing blackness, buried under crushing snow, barely able to breathe.
"Anyone? Sound off!" She tried the radio—only static answered.
Struggling against the suffocating weight, she fought panic. Was this how she would die? After countless life-or-death missions, to perish helplessly under snow?
Then—warmth.
Her hands began glowing faintly gold. The light intensified, forming ornate gauntlets encasing her hands and forearms. Ancient runes she'd never seen before shimmered across the metal-like surface. Strength flooded her body, banishing the cold and despair.
Instinctively, she punched upward. Golden energy melted the snow, carving a pocket of air. With another powerful strike, she burst free like an icebreaker.
Standing on the avalanche-ravaged slope, she scanned for her team. "Andrei! Igor! Yelena!"
Focusing, she sensed faint life signals buried nearby. She dug frantically with her gauntlets, unearthing Andrei first—unconscious but alive. Next came Igor and Yelena, both breathing.
Before she could move them, the red fissure reappeared. More monsters poured out—bigger, angrier.
Kristina positioned herself between them and her wounded comrades. She clenched her glowing fists.
"Come on," she growled, eyes blazing.
She tore into the horde like lightning. The gauntlets granted her impossible speed and strength. Each punch carried devastating force, golden energy disintegrating the creatures on impact. Guns were useless now—her fists were the ultimate weapons.
The battle raged for minutes until the last monster dissolved into black mist. Panting, covered in gore, Kristina stood victorious.
She signaled for extraction. The rescue chopper arrived swiftly, evacuating them to a military hospital.
The official investigation deemed the incident an "equipment malfunction causing an avalanche." Kristina's reports of monsters and magical gauntlets were redacted—classified.
But she knew the truth. The Gauntlets of Light were real. She could feel their power, their ancient purpose.
Over the next three months, she balanced regular duties with secret training. The gauntlets enhanced her combat prowess and attuned her to supernatural energy signatures—later identified as Hellgate and Voidspawn emanations.
Moscow nightlife pulsed around her. At the "Red Star" club, Kristina sipped vodka in a sleek black dress, her soldier's instincts never dormant.
Then—a familiar energy pulse.
Her grip tightened on her glass. Across the bar, two Asian youths—one with a flicker of light in his palm.
She approached, voice low and dangerous. "Who are you? That energy... you're not ordinary."
"We seek the Wielder of the Gauntlets of Light," the man replied calmly. "I believe we've found her."
Kristina led them to a private terrace. Soon, others joined—a Hawaiian, a Chinese woman, a British woman, and an older Asian man.
One by one, they summoned their Weapons of Light.
Kristina exhaled, then manifested her gauntlets. Golden light bathed the terrace.
Marcus Chen explained the threat: Hellgates, the Void, and Alexander's apocalyptic ambitions.
Kristina listened, analyzing. The Siberian incident proved these dangers were real. These people shared her burden.
"I'm in," she stated. "But I need to wrap up my duties first."
They agreed to meet tomorrow. As she studied this unlikely team—warriors from across the globe—Kristina felt something unfamiliar: camaraderie. No longer alone.
The future was uncertain. But as a soldier, she was ready.
For her country. For the world.
This was a warrior's glory.